DOCSLIB.ORG

Libya and Egypt

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Libya and Egypt Luftwaffe Airfields 1935-45 Luftwaffe Airfields 1935-45 Libya (Tripolitania & Cyrenaica) & Egypt By Henry L. deZeng IV Benina/North 21.02.41 Shown: 10 hangars (7 of which are partially destroyed), administrative and related buildings, barracks, quarters, storage buildings and a number of others, airfield operations buildings and the munitions dump. Benina/South is at the bottom right of the photo Edition: March 2016 Luftwaffe Airfields 1935-45 Copyright © by Henry L. deZeng IV (Work in Progress). (1st Draft 2016) Blanket permission is granted by the author to researchers to extract information from this publication for their personal use in accordance with the generally accepted definition of fair use laws. Otherwise, the following applies: All rights reserved. No part of this publication, an original work by the authors, may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the author. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. This information is provided on an "as is" basis without condition apart from making an acknowledgement of authorship. Luftwaffe Airfields 1935-45 Airfields Libya and Egypt Introduction Conventions 1. For the purpose of this reference work, “Libya and Egypt” means the borders that existed on 10 June 1940, the date Italy declared war on Britain and France, with hostilities commencing along the Libyan-Egyptian border the following day. 2. All place name spellings are as they appear in wartime German, Italian and Allied documents with the addition of alternate spellings where known, these mainly being transliterated spellings from Arabic. 3. It is strongly recommended that researchers use the search function because each airfield and place name has alternate spellings, sometimes 3 or 4. A search is best done by downloading this .pdf document and then performing the search. 4. See the General Introduction for matters concerning other conventions such as format, limitations of data, abbreviations, glossary, sources, etc. Preface The Italian colonization of Libya began with an attack on the Ottoman Turks at Tripoli and the ceding of Libya to Italy a few months later in 1912. From 1934 it was officially known at Italian Libya and its status on June 1940 was that of an Italian colony with an Italian administration. Egypt on the other hand, was an independent monarchy with a strong British civil and military influence. The British Royal Air Force already had significant assets in Egypt by June 1940, mainly to protect the Suez Canal. In Libya, the Italians had developed a modest number of airfields, landing grounds and emergency landing grounds (ELGs) throughout the country but the exact numbers are not known. What is known is that by the end of December 1942 there were in Tripolitania 7 airfields (airdromes), 25 landing grounds, 52 emergency landing grounds, 1 seaplane station, 1 seaplane anchorage and 1 emergency seaplane anchorage. At the same time in Cyrenaica there were 5 airfields (airdromes), 73 landing grounds, 50 - 1 - Luftwaffe Airfields 1935-45 emergency landing grounds, 3 seaplane stations and 2 seaplane anchorages. Some of these were built or established by the Italians and Germans while the remainder were constructed by the Allies, mainly the British and South Africans. The vast majority were simply patches of open desert with markers, no buildings and no facilities. Tents were used for accommodations, operations and supply shelters. These landing grounds were typically used for a few days or weeks and then the war moved on leaving them vacated and abandoned. Nearly all of them flooded out during the fall and winter rains which made them unserviceable for days at a time. In Egypt, the airfields were much more developed and were mainly centered in the Alexandria – Cairo – Port Said area. Those in the northern coastal area west to Sidi Barrani were less developed and even primitive in some cases, not unlike their counterparts in Libya. By the end of December 1942 there were in Egypt 26 airfields (airdromes), 77 landing grounds and emergency landing grounds (ELGs), 2 seaplane stations, 6 seaplane anchorages and 9 emergency seaplane anchorages. Axis airfield construction efforts were minimal aside from laying out an airstrip of sorts, and this was largely due to the lack of building materials caused by the shortage of shipping space for lower priority war material such as prefabricated huts, concrete, etc. Few details regarding this subject have been found, but here are two exceptions: (1) on 8 November 1941 the senior Luftwaffe territorial command (ITALUFT) ordered Luftgaustab Afrika to increase the light Flak defenses around the existing airfields and, presumably, build Flak positions for these defenses; and (2) on 29 March 1942 OBS (Luftflotte 2) in Italy ordered the construction of blast bays and aircraft shelters to proceed as quickly as possible despite the shortage of matériel. The one airfield that probably received the greatest amount of attention and improvements from the Germans was Benina. On the other hand, the Allies had far more resources and were much better organized for this construction work and, accordingly, were able to build new airfields and landing grounds and improve existing ones at a comparatively rapid rate. Airfields Listed A total of 14 airfields, 147 landing grounds, 27 satellites and 101 emergency landing grounds are listed below along with 4 seaplane stations and 3 seaplane anchorages. Additionally, 90 landing grounds used by the Allies but not by the Axis are listed without details aside from the coordinates. It should also be pointed out that quite a few of the airfields and landing grounds had multiple airstrips. Some named airfields deep in Egypt along the Suez Canal and in the Sinai Peninsula that were well behind - 2 - Luftwaffe Airfields 1935-45 Allied lines are not listed. The grand total of all listings in this monograph is 386. NOTE: While the primary source documents and a few secondary works cited after each listing provided 90% or more of the data used in this monograph, it was necessary to rely on four excellent reference books for some of the details concerning the order of battle and losses of the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Air Force), and these are: Dunning, Chris. Courage Alone: The Italian Air Force 1940-1943. Manchester: Crécy Publishing Limited, 2009. ISBN: 9 781902 109091. 360p. Shores, Christopher and Hans Ring. Fighters Over the Desert: The Air Battles in the Western Desert June 1940 to December 1942. London: Neville Spearman Ltd., 1969. 256p. Shores, Christopher and Giovanni Massimello with Russell Guest, Frank Olynyk & Winfried Bock. A History of the Mediterranean Air War 1940- 1945. Volume One: North Africa June 1940 – January 1942. London: Grub Street, 2012. ISBN-13: 9781908117076. 560p. Shores, Christopher and Giovanni Massimello with Russell Guest, Frank Olynyk & Winfried Bock. A History of the Mediterranean Air War 1940- 1945. Volume Two: North African Desert February 1942 – March 1943. London: Grub Street, 2012. ISBN-13: 9781909166127. 736p. A Abar el Afan (EGYPT) (a.k.a. L.G. 102) (31 06 45 N – 27 34 45 E) General: landing ground in NW Egypt 42.25 km SE of Mersa Matruh and 7 km SW of Zawya Haroun village. History: no evidence found of any Axis air units being based here, but they undoubtedly were. This landing ground was part of the greater Quasaba airfield complex. Surface and Dimensions: natural desert surface but considered rocky. In Nov 41, it measured 910 x 1200 meters (995 x 1310 yards) according to German documents. British sources at the end of 1942 stated there were 4 airstrips measuring approx. (1) 1830 x 135 meters (2000 x 150 yards), (2) 1325 x 90 meters (1450 x 100 yards), (3) 1100 x 90 meters) 1200 x 100 yards), and (4) 1325 x 135 meters (1450 x 150 yards). The landing area had an irregular oval shape. Fuel and Ammunition: made available as needed. Infrastructure: had 3 - 3 - Luftwaffe Airfields 1935-45 operations buildings or bunkers. Dispersal: ample space for dispersing aircraft. Defenses: none noted. Remarks: 25 Jun 42: evacuated by the RAF during Rommel’s drive toward El Alamein. [Sources: AFHRA A5264 p.1019 (c. 31 Dec 42); chronologies; BA-MA; NARA; PRO/NA; website wwii-photos-maps (OKL 1720, Jan 43); website ww2.dk] Abar Nimeir (EGYPT) (a.k.a. Abu Nimeir, Bagush Waterloo, L.G. 068) (31 07 30 N – 27 47 00 E) General: landing ground in NW Egypt 58 km ESE of Mersa Matruh, 5 km WSW of Abou Haggag village and 600 meters N of the main coastal road. History: used by Italian units from July to October 1942. Surface and Dimensions: hard-packed natural gravel surface measuring approx. 1005 x 915 meters (1100 x 1000 yards) with an irregular oval shape in late 1942. German aerial photos from Sep 41 show 800 x 1000 meters (875 x 1095 yards). Fuel and Ammunition: fuel storage highly probable. Infrastructure: none reported. Dispersal: ample space and aircraft parking pens available. Defenses: none noted. Remarks: 30 Jun 42: the first Italian aircraft arrived this date. 7 Jul 42: raided by SAS commandos – claimed 7 x C.R.42 fighters and 1 x S.M.81 transport destroyed. In practice, 4 of the C.R.42s were destroyed and 6 more damaged. 5 Oct 42: temporarily unserviceable due to heavy flooding. Operational Units: Italian (Regia Aeronautica): 23º Gruppo CT (Oct 42); 66º Gruppo OA (Sep 42); 101º Gruppo BaT (Aug-Oct 42); 158º Gruppo Assalto (Jul-Oct 42); 159º Gruppo Assalto (Jul-Oct 42). Luftwaffe: none identified. Station Commands: none identified.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Download File
    Italy and the Sanusiyya: Negotiating Authority in Colonial Libya, 1911-1931 Eileen Ryan Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 2012 ©2012 Eileen Ryan All rights reserved ABSTRACT Italy and the Sanusiyya: Negotiating Authority in Colonial Libya, 1911-1931 By Eileen Ryan In the first decade of their occupation of the former Ottoman territories of Tripolitania and Cyrenaica in current-day Libya, the Italian colonial administration established a system of indirect rule in the Cyrenaican town of Ajedabiya under the leadership of Idris al-Sanusi, a leading member of the Sufi order of the Sanusiyya and later the first monarch of the independent Kingdom of Libya after the Second World War. Post-colonial historiography of modern Libya depicted the Sanusiyya as nationalist leaders of an anti-colonial rebellion as a source of legitimacy for the Sanusi monarchy. Since Qaddafi’s revolutionary coup in 1969, the Sanusiyya all but disappeared from Libyan historiography as a generation of scholars, eager to fill in the gaps left by the previous myopic focus on Sanusi elites, looked for alternative narratives of resistance to the Italian occupation and alternative origins for the Libyan nation in its colonial and pre-colonial past. Their work contributed to a wider variety of perspectives in our understanding of Libya’s modern history, but the persistent focus on histories of resistance to the Italian occupation has missed an opportunity to explore the ways in which the Italian colonial framework shaped the development of a religious and political authority in Cyrenaica with lasting implications for the Libyan nation.
    [Show full text]
  • WESTERN DESERT CAMPAIGN Sept-Nov1940 Begin Between the 10Th and 15Th October and to Be Concluded by Th E End of the Month
    CHAPTER 7 WESTERN DESERT CAMPAIG N HEN, during the Anglo-Egyptian treaty negotiations in 1929, M r W Bruce as Prime Minister of Australia emphasised that no treat y would be acceptable to the Commonwealth unless it adequately safeguarded the Suez Canal, he expressed that realisation of the significance of sea communications which informed Australian thoughts on defence . That significance lay in the fact that all oceans are but connected parts o f a world sea on which effective action by allies against a common enem y could only be achieved by a common strategy . It was as a result of a common strategy that in 1940 Australia ' s local naval defence was denude d to reinforce offensive strength at a more vital point, the Suez Canal an d its approaches. l No such common strategy existed between the Germans and the Italians, nor even between the respective dictators and thei r commanders-in-chief . Instead of regarding the sea as one and indivisible , the Italians insisted that the Mediterranean was exclusively an Italia n sphere, a conception which was at first endorsed by Hitler . The shelvin g of the plans for the invasion of England in the autumn of 1940 turne d Hitler' s thoughts to the complete subjugation of Europe as a preliminary to England ' s defeat. He became obsessed with the necessity to attack and conquer Russia . In viewing the Mediterranean in relation to German action he looked mainly to the west, to the entry of Spain into the war and th e capture of Gibraltar as part of the European defence plan .
    [Show full text]
  • THE BATTLE of BARDI a U RING the 2Nd January General Mackay
    CHAPTER 8 THE BATTLE OF BARDI A U RING the 2nd January General Mackay visited each of the six attack- D ing battalions . Outwardly he was the most calm among the leaders, yet it was probably only he and the other soldiers in the division who ha d taken part in setpiece attacks in France in the previous war who realise d to the full the mishaps that could befall a night attack on a narrow fron t unless it was carried out with clock-like precision and unfailing dash . The younger leaders were excited, but determined that in their first battle the y should not fail . To one of them it was like "the feeling before an exam" . Afterwards their letters and comments revealed how sharply consciou s many of them were that this was the test of their equality with "the old A.I.F." in which their fathers had served, and which, for them, was the sole founder of Australian military tradition. "Tonight is the night," wrote the diarist of the 16th Brigade . `By this time tomorrow (1700 hrs) the fate of Bardia should be sealed. Everyone is happy, expectant, eager . Old timers say the spirit is the same as in th e last war. Each truck-load was singing as we drove to the assembly point i n the moonlight . All ranks carried a rum issue against the bleak morning . At 1930 hrs we passed the `I' tanks, against the sky-line like a fleet o f battle-cruisers, pennants flying . Infantry moving up all night, rugged , jesting, moon-etched against the darker background of no-man's land .
    [Show full text]
  • Downloadable Content the Supermarine
    AIRFRAME & MINIATURE No.12 The Supermarine Spitfire Part 1 (Merlin-powered) including the Seafire Downloadable Content v1.0 August 2018 II Airframe & Miniature No.12 Spitfire – Foreign Service Foreign Service Depot, where it was scrapped around 1968. One other Spitfire went to Argentina, that being PR Mk XI PL972, which was sold back to Vickers Argentina in March 1947, fitted with three F.24 cameras with The only official interest in the Spitfire from the 8in focal length lens, a 170Imp. Gal ventral tank Argentine Air Force (Fuerca Aerea Argentina) was and two wing tanks. In this form it was bought by an attempt to buy two-seat T Mk 9s in the 1950s, James and Jack Storey Aerial Photography Com- PR Mk XI, LV-NMZ with but in the end they went ahead and bought Fiat pany and taken by James Storey (an ex-RAF Flt Lt) a 170Imp. Gal. slipper G.55Bs instead. F Mk IXc BS116 was allocated to on the 15th April 1947. After being issued with tank installed, it also had the Fuerca Aerea Argentina, but this allocation was the CofA it was flown to Argentina via London, additional fuel in the cancelled and the airframe scrapped by the RAF Gibraltar, Dakar, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, Montevi- wings and fuselage before it was ever sent. deo and finally Buenos Aires, arriving at Morón airport on the 7th May 1947 (the exhausts had burnt out en route and were replaced with those taken from JF275). Storey hoped to gain an aerial mapping contract from the Argentine Government but on arrival was told that his ‘contract’ was not recognised and that his services were not required.
    [Show full text]
  • समाचार पत्रं से चवयत अंश Newspapers Clippings
    Aug 2021 समाचार प配रं से चवयत अंश Newspapers Clippings A Daily service to keep DRDO Fraternity abreast with DRDO Technologies, Defence Technologies, Defence Policies, International Relations and Science & Technology खंड : 46 अंक : 157 10 अगस्त 2021 Vol.: 46 Issue : 157 10 August 2021 रक्षा विज्ञान पुस्तकालय Defence Science Library रक्षा िैज्ञावनक सूचना एिं प्रलेखन कᴂद्र Defence Scientific Information & Documentation Centre मेटकॉफरक्षा हाउस विज्ञान, विल्ली- 110पुस्तकालय 054 MetcalfeDefence House, Science Delhi -Library 110 054 रक्षा िैज्ञावनक सूचना एिं प्रलेखन कᴂद्र Defence Scientific Information & Documentation Centre मेटकॉफ हाउस, विल्ली - 110 054 Metcalfe House, Delhi- 110 054 CONTENTS S. No. TITLE Page No. DRDO News 1-14 DRDO Technology News 1-12 1. Pune: DIAT, SETS hold joint workshop on quantum security, FPGA 1 2. Apart from making missiles and rockets, now DRDO is also transferring 2 technology 3. Govt. must consider reintroduction of tax incentives for R&D in defence: Jayant 3 D. Patil, L&T 4. Indian Navy arrives for joint exercises 11 COVID 19: DRDO’s Contribution 12-14 5. 4 ऑ啍सीजन प्ल車ट ज쥍द हⴂगे शु셂:6 महीने बलद प्रतिददन मम्ेगी 26 ्लख ्ीटर ऑ啍सीजन, 15 12 ददनⴂ मᴂ एमसीएच हॉस्पिट् मᴂ िह्ल प्ल車ट होगल चल् ू 6. उ륍मीदⴂ के तनष्कर्ष 13 7. झल車सी मेडिक् कॉ्ेज और ब셁आसलगर सीएचसी को मम्ल आ啍सीजन प्ल車ट, विधलयक 14 और मेयर ने ककयल ्ोकलिषण Defence News 15-27 Defence Strategic: National/International 15-27 8.
    [Show full text]
  • Supplement to the London Gazette, 15 January, 1948
    348 SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 15 JANUARY, 1948 attack convinced General Schmitt command- es Suera, Bir el Cleibat and Marada, and with- ing the garrison, however, of the futility of drew his armoured force to re-equip. further resistance and early on the 2nd January I was as anxious to; secure this area as the garrison surrendered unconditionally. Rommel was to hold it. Apart from the need Our casualties in this successful operation were to traverse it to invade Tripolitania, which was slight and did not exceed 450 all told, of which my ultimate intention, I considered it essential the majority belonged to the 2nd South African to control this region in order to hold Cyrenaica. Division. In addition to prisoners and material Otherwise, I feared, we should have to retire to captured from the enemy, the fall of Bardia the frontier, if the enemy were, at some later released over 1,100 of our own men, who had date, again to become strong enough to launch been kept in .the fortress as prisoners of war, an offensive in force.* in conditions of great privation. Much enemy Before we could approach the task of throw- ammunition fell into our hands. ing the enemy out of El Agheila, however, we Preparations were at once put in hand for were obliged to wait for reserves to be accumu- the reduction of Halfaya, and it was hoped lated and the administrative situation to im- that the fall of Bardia would intensify the lack prove, so that we might concentrate sufficient of food and water from which the place was troops for this difficult undertaking.
    [Show full text]
  • Insight Into the Soil Seedbank Characteristics of the Arid Rangelands in Libya: a Case Study in Mar- Marica Plateau, Cyrenaica (Northeastern Part of Libya)1 Manam W
    Libyan Journal of Science & Technology 9:2 (2019) 184193 Insight into the soil seedbank characteristics of the arid rangelands in Libya: A case study in Mar- marica Plateau, Cyrenaica (Northeastern part of Libya)1 Manam W. B. Saaeda,*, Yacoub M. El-Barasib, Nazeeha A. Elhashanib a The Higher Institute of Agricultural Techniques, El-Marj, Libya. b Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Benghazi University, Benghazi, Libya. Highlights This study was conducted in Daphna, an arid rangeland area lies in the far northeastern part of Cyrenaica. This area was used as a case study to investigate the soil seedbank characteristics in the arid rangelands of Libya. Using the floatation in a salt solution method, the seeds were extracted from the soil then counted and identified. The results illustrated that the area still retained an adequate density of soil seedbank, however, the majority were for therophytes. The depressions and dykes in valleys retained higher seed density than the open flat areas.. A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T Article history: The current study was conducted in Daphna area, an arid region in Cyrenaica located at the Received 19 February 2019 northeastern part of Libyan Sea Coast at the Libyan-Egyptian Border. The soil was sampled in Revised 31 July 2019 40 different sampling sites along five different sectors through scraping the soil from 0-10 cm Accepted 02 August 2019 layer (2525 cm) in the Platea and from 010 cm and 1030 cm layers in the depressions and Available online 05 August 2019 valleys.
    [Show full text]
  • International Medical Corps in Libya from the Rise of the Arab Spring to the Fall of the Gaddafi Regime
    International Medical Corps in Libya From the rise of the Arab Spring to the fall of the Gaddafi regime 1 International Medical Corps in Libya From the rise of the Arab Spring to the fall of the Gaddafi regime Report Contents International Medical Corps in Libya Summary…………………………………………… page 3 Eight Months of Crisis in Libya…………………….………………………………………… page 4 Map of International Medical Corps’ Response.…………….……………………………. page 5 Timeline of Major Events in Libya & International Medical Corps’ Response………. page 6 Eastern Libya………………………………………………………………………………....... page 8 Misurata and Surrounding Areas…………………….……………………………………… page 12 Tunisian/Libyan Border………………………………………………………………………. page 15 Western Libya………………………………………………………………………………….. page 17 Sirte, Bani Walid & Sabha……………………………………………………………………. page 20 Future Response Efforts: From Relief to Self-Reliance…………………………………. page 21 International Medical Corps Mission: From Relief to Self-Reliance…………………… page 24 International Medical Corps in the Middle East…………………………………………… page 24 International Medical Corps Globally………………………………………………………. Page 25 Operational data contained in this report has been provided by International Medical Corps’ field teams in Libya and Tunisia and is current as of August 26, 2011 unless otherwise stated. 2 3 Eight Months of Crisis in Libya Following civilian demonstrations in Tunisia and Egypt, the people of Libya started to push for regime change in mid-February. It began with protests against the leadership of Colonel Muammar al- Gaddafi, with the Libyan leader responding by ordering his troops and supporters to crush the uprising in a televised speech, which escalated the country into armed conflict. The unrest began in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, with the eastern Cyrenaica region in opposition control by February 23 and opposition supporters forming the Interim National Transitional Council on February 27.
    [Show full text]
  • The SA Air Force: Mandate, Activities, Main Equipment and Key Personalities
    Chapter 10 The SA Air Force: mandate, activities, main equipment and key personalities The SA Air Force (SAAF) is the second-oldest air force in the world. It was founded in 1920 by Sir Pierre van Ryneveld, a pioneer of aviation in South Africa. The world’s oldest air force, the Royal Air Force, was established two years previously, partly at the instigation of General Jan Smuts, then a member of the British War Cabinet. Australia’s Royal Australian Air Force is the third oldest and was also established in 1920. The SAAF is the second-most senior service in the SANDF. What is the mandate of the SAAF? To provide and manage the air defence capability of the Department of Defence on behalf of the DoD, thereby participating in the service to ensure: • The sovereignty and protection of the Republic's territorial integrity. • Compliance with the international obligations of the Republic to international bodies and states. In plainer language, the SAAF exists to defend South Africa’s airspace from unfriendly or unauthorised incursion, to support its sister services and to support government’s foreign and domestic policies. Vision The South African Air Force intends achieving the following ten strategic objectives by 2012: Declaration 1 The SA Air Force is able to maintain an affordable and sustainable balance between the structural elements of air power: Equipment, People, Doctrine – each element developed to its full potential and employed with maximum efficiency. Declaration 2 It can conduct all operations entrusted to it with an exceptional degree of dependability and skill. Declaration 3 It can afford its force design, sustain all required force preparation and force employment, and maintain high standards of aviation safety.
    [Show full text]
  • MPLS VPN Service
    MPLS VPN Service PCCW Global’s MPLS VPN Service provides reliable and secure access to your network from anywhere in the world. This technology-independent solution enables you to handle a multitude of tasks ranging from mission-critical Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), quality videoconferencing and Voice-over-IP (VoIP) to convenient email and web-based applications while addressing traditional network problems relating to speed, scalability, Quality of Service (QoS) management and traffic engineering. MPLS VPN enables routers to tag and forward incoming packets based on their class of service specification and allows you to run voice communications, video, and IT applications separately via a single connection and create faster and smoother pathways by simplifying traffic flow. Independent of other VPNs, your network enjoys a level of security equivalent to that provided by frame relay and ATM. Network diagram Database Customer Portal 24/7 online customer portal CE Router Voice Voice Regional LAN Headquarters Headquarters Data LAN Data LAN Country A LAN Country B PE CE Customer Router Service Portal PE Router Router • Router report IPSec • Traffic report Backup • QoS report PCCW Global • Application report MPLS Core Network Internet IPSec MPLS Gateway Partner Network PE Router CE Remote Router Site Access PE Router Voice CE Voice LAN Router Branch Office CE Data Branch Router Office LAN Country D Data LAN Country C Key benefits to your business n A fully-scalable solution requiring minimal investment
    [Show full text]
  • The Limits of Independence
    RUTH FIRST Libya The Elusive Revolution Part II: The Limits of Independence First published by Penguin Books in 1974 Republished in 2012 by the Ruth First Papers Project www.ruthfirstpapers.org.uk Part II : The Limits of Independence MEDITERRANEAN SEA / \ I \ Hummadalt AI Hamra \, Grc:al Sand Stu of Calatucia \ UAR l (EGYPT) y FEZZAN Hantj AIAifflld A \ \ I Rurrn Mur=w! e SandSta \ Total or<:or Libya r,759,ooosq. km. - -- - ---- :;....;:...- ::..:.;.- 2 Hostage to History and Geography The Ancient Greeks gave the name Libye to all North Africa west of Egypt, but for many .centuries the terms Tripoli or Barbary (after the corsairs who practised piracy in the Mediterr• anean) were used instead. It was in 1934, after the completion of the Italian conquest of Cyrenaica and Tripolitania, that the two provinces were united under Italian over-rule as the colony of Libia. The independent State that was established in 1951 kept that name as the one associated with the region from ancient times. The political divisions of the former provinces of Cyrenaica, Tripolitania, and Fezzan corresponded with the country's natural physical barriers and differences. Geography had made the ancient affiliations of the two coastal regions dissimilar - Cyrenaica's early history was influenced by Greece and Egypt, whereas Tripolitania fell under Rome and was close to Tunisia. The Arab invasions had unifying effects on the population, as did the Turkish occupation in the sixteenth century. But the three provinces were never closely unified,and successive foreign powers, whether they controlled all of modern Libya or only parts of it, generally continued to follow the natural divisions of the country in the shape of their administrations.
    [Show full text]
  • Royal Air Force Historical Society Journal 35
    ROYAL AIR FORCE HISTORICAL SOCIETY JOURNAL 35 2 The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the contributors concerned and are not necessarily those held by the Royal Air Force Historical Society. First published in the UK in 2005 by the Royal Air Force Historical Society All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the Publisher in writing. ISSN 1361 4231 Printed by Advance Book Printing Unit 9 Northmoor Park Church Road Northmoor OX29 5UH 3 ROYAL AIR FORCE HISTORICAL SOCIETY President Marshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Michael Beetham GCB CBE DFC AFC Vice-President Air Marshal Sir Frederick Sowrey KCB CBE AFC Committee Chairman Air Vice-Marshal N B Baldwin CB CBE FRAeS Vice-Chairman Group Captain J D Heron OBE Secretary Group Captain K J Dearman Membership Secretary Dr Jack Dunham PhD CPsychol AMRAeS Treasurer J Boyes TD CA Members Air Commodore H A Probert MBE MA *J S Cox Esq BA MA *Dr M A Fopp MA FMA FIMgt *Group Captain C J Finn MPhil RAF *Wing Commander W A D Carter RAF Wing Commander C Cummings Editor & Publications Wing Commander C G Jefford MBE BA Manager *Ex Officio 4 CONTENTS THE EARLY DAYS by Wg Cdr Larry O’Hara 8 SUPPLY COMES OF AGE by Wg Cdr Colin Cummings 19 SUPPLY: TWO WARTIME EXAMPLES by Air Cdre Henry 34 Probert EXPLOSIVES by Wg Cdr Mike Wooldridge 41 NUCLEAR WEAPONS AND No 94 MU, RAF BARNHAM by 54 Air Cdre Mike Allisstone
    [Show full text]